The OWTU said yesterday it was prepared to call off the strike if PETROTRIN made an offer of ten percent for the period 2011 – 2014 when the two sides met at 1:30 PM at the Industrial Court, St. Vincent Street, Port of Spain. The company and the union are negotiating for two periods, 2011 – 2014 and 2014 – 2017 for which PETROTRIN has offered a zero, zero, zero percentage increase, an offer the union has dubbed unacceptable.

OWTU President General Ancel Roget said yesterday’s meeting at the Industrial Court was an opportunity for the company to place a new position before the union and avert the strike threatened for Monday. However, no new offer was placed on the table and the two sides will meet again on Sunday. “We have placed before the court on the last occasion and for them to consider for settlement at ten percent. That is to say that if the company comes this afternoon with a ten percent offer for the period 2011 – 2014 we will consider that offer and, of course, we are prepared to call the strike off should the company settle at ten percent for the earlier period 2011 – 2014.” He said the union could not accept zero, zero, zero percent for the 2011 – 2014 period and the same zero, zero, zero for the later period of 2014-2017. He said since the 2014 – 2017 period is before the Minister of Labour and is the period for which the union has served strike notice and everybody is saying that the parties need to settle the earlier period first, yesterday’s meeting at the Industrial Court was the opportunity for the company to achieve a settlement. He said once that is done the union will call off the strike, but this agreement must be achieved before Monday otherwise the union will proceed with the strike. However, he stressed that “zero, zero, zero plus another set of zero, zero, zero is certainly disrespectful to the oil worker who produces.” Roget said no progress was made at Friday morning’s meeting at the Ministry of Labour despite the presence of the Petrotrin President, Fitzroy Harewood, who had been summoned to attend the meeting by Minister of Labour and Small Enterprise Development, Jennifer Baptiste-Primus the day before. In a brief release reportedly issued by the Petrotrin President, Harewood said the meeting at the Ministry of Labour was called “with the two negotiating teams from the company and the union which are and have been led for this entire process by the Vice President Human Resources and Corporate Services of Petrotrin and the President General of the OWTU.” He said that at the start of Thursday’s meeting the minister contacted him and requested his attendance when certain matters were being discussed. “It was mutually agreed that at the continuation of the meeting at 8 AM Friday January 6, 2017, that Mr. Harewood would attend and participate in the discussions.” Roget said that at the meeting the minister advised the company to consider the union’s proposal for settlement of the 2011-2014 period and return to the ministry for another meeting on Sunday morning.

“Or if you can’t do that, settle the other one, 2014-2017 and we are not demanding any backpay at this moment. That retroactive pay, that backpay, can be paid over a prolonged period of time based on a deferred payment option and plan that we are very amendble to sit down and discuss with the management of the company. And even more than that, we said to the minister and the company that we are prepared to, on the basis of the increase in production and productivity and looking at all of the inefficiency issues and so on over a period of time once the company makes money, we are prepared to from that money use to discharge this debt owed to the workers.” He said it was an innovative and reasonable suggestion that from money the company made in the future it could discharge its debt to the workers and he felt it was an offer the company should embrace with both hands.

IT has to be truly appalling that the background to this sorry episode lies in the fact that 11 months after last Carnival, pannists remain unpaid their $1,000 Panorama appearance fee, a modest stipend that does not exactly equate to them asking for the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars.

Dozens of pannists protested for their money and against an alleged disrespect from their executive outside Pan Trinbago’s offices in Port-of-Spain on Wednesday, weeks after former vice president Byron Serrette, had voluntarily resigned citing dissatisfaction at the organisation, including the dubious purchase of luxury vehicles.

The protests came despite Culture Minister, Dr Nyan Gadsby- Dolly, assuring that her Ministry had sent the funds to Pan Trinbago (which has not denied this assurance). It is also against the backdrop of Pan Trinbago’s reported $30 million debt, and $1.6 million “lost” running last year’s Panorama. At least one band, irate at the non-payment, has vowed to boycott Panorama 2017.

An even stranger turn of events followed last Wednesday’s protest.

The next morning Diaz, was on television assuring that monies would be paid. Later that day, cheques were indeed in the hands of pannists.

However, when these cheques were presented for encashment, banks refused, saying insufficient funds were present.

Such a failing not only dashed the hopes of pannists but exposed Pan Trinbago’s leadership to ridicule and to the threat of prosecution.

However just as news came of the dishonouring of cheques came news that Diaz had suffered a heart attack, after which he yesterday reportedly underwent surgery by way of an angioplasty. With that also came word that Pan Trinbago has cancelled a meeting with members scheduled for today.

The protest, the bouncing of cheques and Diaz’s illness each illustrate the need for Pan Trinbago’s affairs to be put on a more professional footing, where for example the payment of members will not be derailed by the illhealth of the president.

Pan Trinbago is heavily subsidised by taxpayers’ funds, and so requires a high level of financial scrutiny.

The pannists are citizens of TT whose deprivation of pay must be a concern to the Government and various watchdogs of the public purse. Lastly, the Government’s subvention to the likes of Pan Trinbago is no mere gift but largely an investment to generate a return and boost TT’s creative and tourism sectors, both possible areas of economic diversification.

The sorry saga of the past 48 hours now demands attention by the Ministries of Finance and Culture, and by spending watchdogs, such as the Auditor General, Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee and Integrity Commission.

We welcome news from National Carnival Commission (NCC) head, Kenny Da Silva, that the NCC will look at the operations of Pan Trinbago and other groups, after Carnival.

This certainly is not an apt time to invoke the Trini dictum, “Carnival is bacchanal”, as there is nothing cute about pannists remaining unpaid, nor the President of their organisation lying seriously ill in a hospital bed.

Watching the television interviews with Kenny De Silva and Keith Diaz this week reminded me of Rudder. Suddenly, I understood his lack of enthusiasm, almost boredom with the topic.

One editorial correctly referred to this latest flare-up over payments to Pan Trinbago and other issues, as disturbing and questioned “that for all the millions of taxpayers’ dollars allocated to the special interest groups every year via the NCC, mounting debts and financial shortfalls are a recurring theme…” The term ‘special interest’ is what bothered me in this whole debate.

For me, this is really the crux of the problem not just with our Festival, but with pretty much every cultural venture. In whose interests do the ‘special interests’ function? There are those who would say that it is their own narrow agendas that they serve. Undoubtedly, the special interests would counter that they work for the advancement of our mas, calypso and pan.

Yet, it remains a matter of great confusion to me that we still have no museum of Carnival Arts, no pan theatre and nowhere that any time I feel like it, I can go to hear a recording of the first calypso vocal from 1914, enter a replica of the 1921 Railway Douglas tent, hear one of the original pan tuners talking about his craft or see a photo of ‘Lady Trinidad’, our first female calypsonian from 1935.

Will future generations be able to listen to Senor Gomez and learn wire-bending from watching his technique? The reason most likely can be found in the tragedy that the special interests do not have an understanding of the complexity of our Carnival, and its primeval effect on us all. Invariably, issues of money, power and management come to the fore, almost completely silencing emphasis on how our Festival can positively impact curricula, criminal behaviour, and issues of identity.

The characters in Earl Lovelace’s ‘Dragon can’t Dance’ still represent that complexity; they exist on many levels, and mirror the ability of Carnival to pull you into its spell, even as it simultaneously exposes your masks. The Queen, the Bad John and of course, the Dragon – they all live out their internal frustrations, insecurities and ambitions through the Carnival. In turn, Carnival impacts their relationships with each other, and in many ways determines the paths they take.

This week, again I felt acutely how we continue to misunderstand this element of our culture. The special interests have missed the fact that Carnival was also a form of cultural resistance to ethnic oppression, of expressing warriorhood through the stick-fighting and even the steelband wars. So the pan yards and Gayelles are not able to serve as structured ‘rites of passage’ for young men into man hood and the traditional mas still fights for its space.

Aldrick and the others in ‘Dragon’ are confused and alienated by the changes in Carnival, as the rawness and rebelliousness are infiltrated by “beads and feathers and rhinestones”. I’m not sure which is more stark. The fact that Lovelace’s messages are still so relevant, or that the special interests are still allowed to wreak havoc with our Carnival, or that David Rudder’s reaction to the debate back then, really captures how ludicrous it all still is today.

D a r a Healy is a perform a n c e a r t i s t a n d f o u n d – er of the N G O , the Indigenous Creative Arts Network – ICAN

In a media release issued yesterday by the TT Police Service Public Affairs Unit, it was reported that Modeste was last seen at Salvia Lane in Pleasantville.

Her mother Diana Saroop of Purcell Street, Vistabella Road in San Fernando, lodged a Missing Person’s report at about 12.45 pm on Tuesday at the Mon Repos Police Station.

The press release stated that Modeste is of mixed descent, five feet, five-inches in height and of slim build. Persons with information about the where about of Modest are asked to contact any police station, 800-TIPS, 555, 999 or 911.

A Pan Trinbago release yesterday stated this meeting is now scheduled for January 10 at City Hall, Port-of-Spain to discuss Panorama 2017, as well as deliver a report to its membership.

Contacted yesterday for comment, ace pannist Dane Gulston, who has led the charge against the Diaz administration, for the handling of Pan Trinbago’s affairs, said he was saddened by the news of Diaz’s medical condition saying he had nothing personal against the Pan Trinbago head.

He said that while he remains firm that change must take place in the management of Pan Trinbago, his prayers and thoughts are with Diaz. “A person’s health is a whole other different thing,” Gulston said. He maintained however that the entire Pan Trinbago executive must go over its handling of the organisation. To date, panmen and women have not been paid their $1,000 stipend for performing in the 2016 Panorama competition. A second press release sent last evening by Pan Trinbago revealed that Aquil Arrindell, elected as Education Officer and member of the Pan Trinbago Central Executive, had tendered his resignation via email on January 5, at 8.05 pm.

The bloodied limb ended up in the middle of the road while Aberdeen remained in his vehicle. He and the bloodied limb were rushed to hospital.

Doctors at the San Fernando General Hospital attempted to reattach the limb but were unsuccessful.

Up to yesterday, Aberdeen remained warded at hospital and investigations are continuing.

This tragic accident was not the first for Aberdeen as he also lost an eye at a construction site over 20 years ago. Residents told Newsday that he was doing construction work on a house at Penal when an object struck him.

Initial reports are that at about 9 am, the driver of a black Toyota SUV suffered a “blackout” while proceeding west along the Golconda Connector Road in Retrench Village close to the traffic lights.

The vehicle crossed the lane and crashed into a Toyota Royal Saloon taxi (HBL 6213) which was proceeding in the opposite direction.

At the time the taxi-driver had five other occupants in his vehicle.

All occupants, among them three woman, sustained injuries on impact.

Following the accident, scores of passers-by flocked to the scene and offered assistance until ambulance personnel arrived. Passers-by were seen offering water as well as words of comfort to the victims along the roadside. Ambulance personnel rushed the victims to the San Fernando General Hospital where they were receiving medical attention up to last evening.

Responding to a question in the House of Representatives on Friday, Crichlow Cockburn said this was done through the collaborative efforts of her ministry, Port-of-Spain South MP Marlene McDonald, the Housing Ministry and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

She said an assessment is being done to determine whether the damaged apartments could be refitted or need to be demolished.

Responding to questions from Opposition MPs Dr Suruj Rambachan and Rodney Charles in the House of Representatives, Imbert said the IMF advised Government about the establishment ofa tax policy unit in his ministry, the country’s oil and gas taxation regime and the possible establishment of a Revenue Authority.

“That is it. Nothing else,” Imbert stated. When Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal asked whether Government had changed its position about creating a Revenue Authority, Imbert replied, “ We are currently studying the recommendations of the IMF which involves the full establishment of a revenue authority and other options.” Imbert did not say what those options were but added, “ when the Government makes its policy decision, we shall come to the Parliament with appropriate legislation.” Later in the sitting, Imbert sought and obtained a deferral of two weeks on a question from Charles about unemployment in TT.

“Let us see what happens over the weekend. I suspect that the matter might have already been dealt with,” she told reporters at the adjournment of yesterday’s sitting of the Parliament.

“I hope there is in fact a deal in the public’s interest and for the benefit of the people of Trinidad and Tobago,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar said it was passing strange, she said, that the meeting between the Minister of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprises, the OWTU and Petrotrin was adjourned yesterday “to go all the way down to Sunday.” She queried, “Don’t you find that strange? Why didn’t they meet tomorrow? Why?” She also heard by the way, “One of them saying that the court is going to make a ruling soon.” When Imbert said that people are not panic buying because they know that the Government was working in their best interest, Persad-Bissessar said, “Of course they are friends. They are comrades- in-arm as it were, and I do hope they have a deal.” On Imbert’s view that the 0-0-0 offer to the OWTU was a People’s Partnership government offer, Persad-Bissessar said, “Don’t believe everything you hear from the other side. You can go back to Mr (Patrick) Manning’s time as well.” The Rowley-led Government was now in office for 16 months, she said, “and all those things that they say we did, assuming but not admitting that they are true, that we did or did not do, are irrelevant at this point in time.” She said Government has had 16 months to deal with the issues for which they preached they had all the answers and solutions. She expressed the view that Government has collapsed and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has given a no-confidence in his entire Cabinet by committees to do everything.

She called the initiative “a committeerisation of Government.” She said government ministers were not speaking to the public. “We do not hear them speaking. We hear very few ministers speaking. The minister of everything speaks on everything,” she said.

Meanwhile on Government finally sending the Tax Exchange Information Bill to a Joint Select Committee, she said, the matter could have been resolved four months ago but because of bad faith on the part of Government in dragging their feet and reneging on their promise, it was not done before.

She congratulated the opposition members of Parliament holding fast to their position in spite of being bullied inside and outside of the Parliament by their colleagues and some members of the private sector. She noted the need for it to go a JSC because of the intrusive nature of some provisions that could affect the privacy of local citizens as well.